Automatic poultry feed dispenser



N v- 17, 1953 PAPARAZZO ET AL 2,659,346

AUTOMATIC POULTRY FEED DISPENSER Filed Oct. 51, 1950 INVENTORS 400/5 PAPARAZZO Al EXAM/DER A. EERNARTZ ,BY

JTTORNEY Patented Nov. 17, 1953 AUTOMATIC POULTRY FEED DISPENSER Louis Paparazzo, Waterbury, and Alexander A.

Bernartz, West Cheshire, Conn.; said Paparazzo assignor to said Bernartz Application October 31, 1950, Serial No. 193,136

2 Claims.

This invention relates to poultry feeders, and more particularly to a hanging, traveling hopper type of feed distributor for large flocks of chickens or other fowl.

One object of this invention is to provide a device of the above character which is well suited for dispensing either wet or dry types of poultry feed or mash.

Another object is to provide a device of the above nature having a single or duplex feed hopper which may be raised or lowered in accordance with the various sizes of troughs from which the poultry is fed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the above nature, including easily operated mean to agitatethe feed in the hoppers so that it will be dispensed at a uniform rate.

Another object is to provide a device of the above nature wherein the operator may adjust the rate of flow of the feed from the hopper to the feeding troughs.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple'in construction, inexpensive to manufactureeasy to install and manipulate, compact, and very efiicient and durable in use. i 1

With these and other objects in view, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of the feeding device and its associated troughs with sections broken away for clearness.

Fig. 2 is a partial end view of the device, also with sections broken away.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral Illindicates the front end wall of a duplex feed hopper H, the rear end wall being indicated by the numeral I l A pair of rectangular side walls [2,

l2 interconnect the respective vertical ends of the end walls l and II. '-I he front end wall I0 is provided with a pair of outwardly and downwardly inclined extension portions [3, l3; like-v,

wise, the rear end wall I I is provided with a similar pair of inclined extension portions l4 (only one shown).

The extension portions l3 and H are interconnected by a pair of rectangular inclined bottom plates l5, said bottom plate together forming the bottom of the hopper H. The plates l5 slope downwardly and outwardly from the center toward the sides of the hopper in opposite directions.

Thelower and upper ends of the side walls 12 are preferably formed with inwardly-bent angular portions I6 and flanges ll, respectively.

Means are provided for the adjustable suspension of the hopper H from an overhead I-beam rail I8 running the length of the chicken house. To this end, the rail has disposed in each of its sides, two pairs of rollers I9, each pair of which is rotatably fixed to a pair of hanger members 20. Each of the hangers 20 is provided with. an

- opening through which pass a pair of chains 2|,

interconnecting respective upper end corners of said hopper. The chains may be fixed to the corners of the hopper as by being secured in openings in four corner angle iron pieces 22 extending upwardly above the top of the hopper. One end of each of the chains 2| is provided with a hook 23 adapted to be adjustably inserted into any desired link of its respective chain in order to adjust the height of the hopper. Alternative- 1y, instead of using chains, the ends of the hopper may be connectedto their respective hangers by means of rods provided with turnbuckleslnot adjustably positioned against the outer sides of said openings; Each shutter member 24 comprises an elongated fiat section 25, an angle iron 26 fixed outside the lower end thereof, and an elongated yieldable gasket 21, preferably of rubber, seated along said angle iron and fixed thereto, and to said flat section, as by rivets 28 (or bolts, not shown) Each shutter member 24 is further-provided i'with an angle iron Z9, fixed'along the outside of the flat section 25 near the upper end thereof,

1 to which is fixed, as-by bolts, the arms of each of apair of hinges 3!}; The other arms of the hinges 3B are attached to theside walls [2 so that the shutters are swingable downwardly against their respective feed openings.

In order to adjust the rate of flow of the feed from the hopper, there is provided for each shutter a control crank 3|, one end of which is fixed against the inside of one end of the angle iron 29 I at a slight angle with respect to the vertical axis of the shutter member 24. The other end of the crank is equipped with a handle 32 for controlling the position of the shutter member. An angle ,difierent sizes of iron flange S3, in which is cut a plurality of T- shaped slot openings 34, is mounted against the front end wall of the hopper in a horizontal position and serve to lock the shutter control cranks 3|, and the shutter members 34 selectively at a plurality of positions. M H 7 Automatic means are also provided to agitate the feed in the hoppers so thatit will not pack and clog at the dispensing openings. To this end, there is provided a pair of aligned agitator- 10 rods 35, each joumaled between. the endgal s. of the hopper at positions just within the feed dispensing openings.

Each of the rods has to it a plurality of agitator vanes 16 spirally]:

disposed along the sides thereof. One end *of each of the rods extends thrqughthe'iront end t wall Ill and is equipped with a sprocket 31 interconnecting the sprockets 81 for simultaneous rotational motion to the agitator revisitie a'd'rive chain", and the end sof'one dah ioiis is-further'provlded with a rotatable cranlfimember 39 and a handle 40.

The hopper is further provided with a pair of comprising elongated bottom portions M and 'upstanding'end-portion's 42 'and down- 3 wardiy extending skirt portions .44. The end portions-are swingably mounted against and betweeitherespective front and rear end wall excursions N and H, asiby headed pins";

A' -re'movablecentral partition P is provided tor-use m oase it is desired to dispense diflei'ent types of feed to the feed troughs.

r Operation In operation, the hopper H containing the feed or mash .F is first adjusted for feed dispensing by springing the shutter control cranks 3| into the particular slot openings 34 which serveyto Ton in 't 't Pie invit W Another advantage is its ready adaptability to different sizes of poultry.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the eof illustration not m be limited toth eci c disclosure, but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the inven- .gtiqn,. ipv,iudesall;the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following flaying"thiis;fully described the invention. wha'tisclaimedas new, and for which it is desimd.-.t9 .ssmsmett Patent.

an automatic poultry feeder, a feedcontafning hopper having a pair of fixed vertical end walls, a fixed inclined bottom plate, a

- fixed-verticalfside wall having its. -ioweriedge spaoedfrom saidbottom plate leavin a longitudinal feed passagejopening therebetweema 1ongitudinal shutter plate pivoted to said side wall.

'sai'dishutter plate having a flexible strip secured to itsilower edgeandadapted to yield to perlt t the passage, offeed. fromwsaid p wer into a hold theshutter members I! in the desired 90-" sitionsri Thereafter, itiwill merely be necessary for the operator to push the :hopper along the rail -it'from :o'ne .end'of the chicken house to the -other,=meanwhile manually rotating the 1 said hopp r .ioxuidethe feed iron-sa d burne cranlrllrto insure an even fiow of feed fromboth 7' sides -of=.the device into the, troughs T. The apron A may be folded upwardly. to permit the devideitobe'moved'baek to the original end of the-awoken house without disturbing. the

Itshouldbe noted that *the feed-dispensing openings are independently adjustable so that diflerent amounts; or even difierent type et-feed or mash may be supplied to the separate It -wiilbe understood that the outer under edges of-the aprons rest against the sides of their respective troughs and thus insure that the feedis properly directed into said trou hs.

Adjustment to different heights of troughs for poultry is readily made by, raisins-or lowering the hopper by shortening or langthenlngthe suspension chains 21.

One advantage of the improved de ice resides in the rapidity and ease with which large fiocks o! poulfl'y canbe fed. v

to a trough. below,it., said apron beinstoldable u wardly'iaway from said troashwhen themsired quantity of feed has beensdiflpensedhat one iocationitopermitthe feeder to be moved 4 longitudinnllyntoiandlflerqnt 100M103 without :disturbing whlchimay befee m W said trough. N

LOUIS PAPARAZZO.

References Cited fl ml! 01 l ----Um'I' ED's'ra'rEs-P1imms-- Number Name "Date ..l,033,9,07.,.. Kinney July 30,1912 1.344339? Burnett, June 29,1920 2 ,6012??? al. June 17,. 1852 PATENTS Number eme y Date 274,111: Germany. May 15,1914 Sweden sept. '22, 15 

